A new beginning
by Jess-Emrys-BLack
Summary: Leo Potter’s heart is broken for the last time by his parents neglect. He decides to run away only to be taken in by a loving family. He grows up loved far from the world he previously knew…Includes Elves, Veelas, Fairies, Dragoons and more!


Chapter 1

A New Home

Please, please forgive me,  
But I won't be home again.  
Maybe someday you'll have woke up,  
And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:  
"isn't something missing? "

You won't cry for my absence, I know -  
You forgot me long ago.  
Am I that unimportant...?  
Am I so insignificant...?  
Isn't something missing?  
Isn't someone missing me?

- Artist: **Evanescence**

- Song: **Missing**

A young boy stood at the edge of a large forest unworried about the growing darkness. The boy who would only be four or five years old had messy black hair, sun tanned skin, and bright emerald green eyes that often gave the image of looking right through you and seeing something much more real that others could only guess at. He was very thin and small for his age and seemed to radiate pain and wisdom not meant for one so young.

The boy sighed and turned back toward his house, as he opened the door the sound of laughter met his ears. A small tear trickled down his face braking through the mask he had built. Quickly he brushed it aside scolding him-self for getting upset it wasn't as though he wasn't use to being forgotten. No his parents always forgot about him, ever since they found out that there first son Harry, his older brother, was destined to defeated the Dark Lord.

He sighed and made his way inside. His fathers best friend Sirius Black was talking with his parents about the big surprise party they where planning for Harry's birthday. They had completely forgotten that it was his fifth birthday today, just like last year and the year before.

He sighed again before making his way upstairs to his room. Anyone who looked at his room then his brothers, Harry's, would easily see the neglect of the second child. Where Harry's room was painted brightly and filled to the brim with toys, his room was pitifully empty of toys, there was no paint on his walls.

He didn't sleep well that night his dreams turned into nightmares. He woke once covered in sweat he wished that he could call out to his parents and have his father tell him 'everything's alright it was just a dream' and feel his strong protective arms around him. He wished his mother would come and hold him in her loving arms and sing to him like she did for Harry and his younger sister. But he know that they wouldn't they didn't care for him like they did for Harry or there only daughter Maria. And so there alone curled up on his bed he cried for the loving family he didn't have.

As the sun rose the next day he packed what little possessions he had, and as much food as he could fit into a small backpack he had found in the back of the hallway closet and left only looking back as he reached the edge of the forest. It was there he said his final good-byes.

'There's no point in staying here. I'll just keep getting hurt if I stay and it's not like they would notice me gone and they wouldn't care either!' he thought to him-self 'You may not love me, but I will always love you.' With that he turned around and walked into the forest.

* * *

Most young children might have been scared at the thought of walking through a dark forest all alone, but Leo wasn't; for he had spent much of his time wandering through the forest. Today though he knew he had to go deeper then he had ever gone. As he went deeper into the forest the trees began to grow closer together blocking out most of the sunlight and slowing his progress. It was on the second night and Leo stopped for the night in a small clearing under a large ancient Oak tree, there in between the large rotes he huddled and cried at the injustice of his life. He knew that he should go back but he was scared, he remembered what had happened last time he was away for longer then a day.

_Leo had gotten his foot stuck during one of his walks through the forest and hadn't been able to get it out so he had to stay there all night. In the morning he had pulled it free and started home walking in a painful limp as his ankle started to swell. As he got home he opened the door to find himself faced with a tearful mother and an angry father. Mother had hugged him saying how glad she was that he was safe before starting to yell at him for scaring her. He had tried to tell her he was sorry he had scared her and tell her what had happened but she wouldn't listen. Then his farther had grabbed him and pulled him upstairs to his room shutting the door behind him. He then proceeded to yell at him while shaking him by the shoulders. Leo was really scared his father was shaking him so hared that he couldn't say anything and it was really hurting him. Between the pain and being so scared he couldn't help but start to cry, this seemed to anger his father farther as he yelled at Leo to stop, but Leo couldn't he tried but couldn't stop the tears. Then his father hit him across the face making him fall over. Leo was shocked his father had never hit him before, he looked up at his fathers wide eyes with tears still falling before his father had turned quickly and left the room shutting the door after him. After he had left Leo pulled himself into the darkest corner of his room and curled his trembling body close. His ankle and face still hurt and he was scared that his father would come back so he stayed huddled in the corner not daring to move to eat as he had missed last nights dinner, and today's breakfast and now lunch._

_Leo's father apologized the next morning but from then on Leo had never truly felt safe with him again._

Leo pulled his body closer, no he couldn't go back, not now, it was too late. He had managed to stop crying because he knew his father hated it when he cried. But as he realized he couldn't ever go back he couldn't help but allow a small sob to escape.

As he tried to sleep his thoughts drifted to his mother.

_Leo didn't think his mother really loved him; not like she loved Harry and Marie. But he wanted to know for sure, so he went to find her. She was in Marie's room singing to her. _

"_Mummy," he asked "do you love Harry?"_

"_Yes of course dear with all my hart!" His mother exclaimed_

"_Do you love Marie?" he asked_

"_Yes dear I love her very much!"_

"_Do you love daddy?"_

"_Yes dear!"_

"_Do you love Death Eaters mommy?" he asked making sure she was really listening_

_His mother turned to look at him her eyes flashing "No! I don't!" she said fermliy_

"_Do you love The Dark Lord?"_

"_No!" she said as she tried to calm Marie who had started fussing_

"_Do you love Wormtail?" _

"_No" she said slightly distracted_

"_Do you love Leo?"_

"_No" she said to busy calming Marie to see Leos face drop and his eyes fill with tears_

"_Do you hate me mommy?" Leo asked in a small voice_

"_Yes of course dear" she said_

_Leo looked up at his mother tears in his eyes, his mother really didn't love him, his mother hated him. Leo walked out of the room and into his; he sat on his bed and thought about this. His mother may hate him but he would always love her and he thought he should tell her that. So he got off his bed and went to find her, she was in the kitchen cooking dinner._

"_Mummy," he said "I need to tell you something important."_

"_What is it dear?" She asked not pausing in her preparations_

"_Well its just…" he started_

"_Excuse me dear I need to get into the cupboard behind you. Why don't you go sit over there and tell me what you wanted" She said interrupting him_

_Leo did as she asked before trying again "I just want you to know that I love you even if you hate me"_

_His mother turned to him "I don't hate you dear" she said_

_Leo looked at her "You don't have to lie to me I'll love you anyway" he said thinking that she thought she had to change her mind because of him_

"_How dare you say that I'm lying" his mother said angrily as she grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the pantry_

"_But you don't love me" he protested_

_She reached into the pantry pulling out a small container_

_Leo was confused did his mother love him "You do love me" he said softly to her_

_She opened the container a took out a pinch of what was in it before turning to Leo "Open your mouth" she said and he obeyed sprinkling the stuff on his tongue she said "This is for lying"_

_Lying, Leo thought she doesn't really love me. Before he could say anything however the stuff his mum put on his tongue started to burn. He started to cry it really hurt, it burned. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" cried out through sobs_

_His mother left him like that for awhile before getting him a glass of water. After he had drunk it all, his mother said "Now go to your room and think about what you've done. I will not tolerate lying in this house nor will I tolerate you saying I or anyone else has been lying." _

"_I'm sorry for saying you loved me! I won't do it again" he murmured to her before turning and walking slowly up to his room._

_That night he was curled up in a ball in his corner again._

Leo sat up as he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning slowly he was shocked by what he saw, it was not some ferocious animal intent on eating him as he thought but a tall finely built man. The man had waist length hair that was so black that it seemed almost blue, his eyes where a deep brown and he walked with inhuman grace.

The man in question was watching Leo closely and seemed startled when Leo looked him straight in the eye. 'Those eyes' the man thought to himself 'so full of sadness and so innocent'. Looking at the boy closely he could see that the boy had been crying; in fact there where still tears running down his cheeks. Walking towards the boy slowly as not to startle the boy the man was shocked to see such distrust in the boy. 'How could such a young and innocent child come to distrust so easily' the man wondered. As he reached the boy he knelt down before him.

"Where are your parents child?" the man asked softly seeing the boy tense. 'How could they leave this boy here all alone' the men cried to himself.

After getting no answer only a distrustful look the man asked "Are you lost?"

The boy looked at him carefully before shacking his head not taking his eyes off him and saying in a small voice "No I'm not lost."

"Why are you crying?" the man asked in his magical voice. Leo didn't know why but he trusted this man who seemed sad about something.

Leo hated it when people where sad and he always did what he could to make them happy again. Maybe this is why he answered thinking that maybe the man would be happier if Leo told him; or maybe because he sensed something about the man that he knew he could trust; or it could just have been because he was five had been mistreated nearly all his life and had just run away from home and needed a release; or perhaps it was all of them put together. Whatever the reason Leo broke down and told him everything. He told him all about his parents forgetting about him, about how they had forgotten his last three birthdays, about them ignoring him, hating him; he told this man everything and by the time he was finished he was crying so much that he couldn't see the look of horror that filled the mans face.

The man was horrified 'how could anyone treat a child like that? Especially one so innocent' the man thought as he reached over pulling the boy into his arms holding him while he cried. When he pulled the boy into his arms the boy had automatically tensed but he soon relaxed as he rested in his caring arms.

"What's your name child?" the man asked softly to he boy in his arms "My names Tathar." The man said when he got no answer

"Mines Leo" the boy said softly barely a whisper but Tathar heard, due to his extraordinary hearing.

Tathar smiled down at the boy "Well Leo there are a few people I want you to meet, will you come with me?"

Leo looked up at the man trying to find some hidden intent but finding none he nodded his head slowly. Leo knew that he wasn't suppose to go with strangers his parents always told him so but he couldn't help trusting this man and besides his parents weren't here to tell him what to do, thinking this he remembered that they would probably never tell him what to do again. At this thought he buried his head into the mans chest looking for comfort; and that's just what he found.

The man smiled at him again before standing up. With Leo held tightly in his arms he began to walk deeper into the forest. Leo couldn't remember ever being held with such care and protectiveness, where he felt completely safe and even loved. 'How is it that a stranger I meet only a few moments ago feels more loving towards me then my own parents have for the last three years?' Leo thought to himself as he rested in Tathar's arms slowly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Tathar took the sleeping child deep within the forest until he entered a large clearing. Tathar looked around the clearing before speaking in a strange language, the words seemed like magic that could communicate in such a way that the trees and even the wind seemed to pause too listen. Tathar paused for a moment watching the opposite side of the clearing. Slowly people started emerging from the trees, they where all tall and beautiful like Tathar and walked with the same inhuman grace; and when they spoke it was in the same magical language Tathar had used. Tathar spoke to them telling them about the boy in his arms. They where all shocked at the poor treatment the boy had gone through for where they came from children where prized for they where very important, they where the future. Tathar had just finished telling them what the boy had told him when Leo stirred.

When Leo awoke he found himself in someone's arms, it took but a moment to remember where he was when he did he opened his eyes and was shocked to see lots of people around. He automatically tensed and clung to Tathar tightly.

"Shhh… little one its okay." Tathar said gently, instantly Leos grip loosened "These are my friends."

Leo looked them all over carefully, they all had this strange aura surrounding them that felt peaceful and pure, like Unicorns. Leo frowned at that the only creature that he know of that felt that way and looked like these people where Elves and maybe fairies but they felt more mischievous then peaceful. But Elves other then house-elves weren't suppose to exist, at lest that is what most people believed; but then again Leo wasn't an ordinary boy and for some reason had always thought they did exist and had looked up every thing about them in the Potter extensive library.

"Are you all Elves?" Leo asked shyly after all he was not use to being the center of attention that was always taken by his older brother in fact he barely received any attention at all.

That one small simple question seemed to shock everyone, including Tathar who looked down at the boy in his arms. Everyone froze there minds trying to figure out how a human mortal child know about them when to most of its kind they where but mythical creatures brought about by the Adults of old to tell there children as night time stories and had evolved into creatures in books Muggle and Magical but no more then a unreal made up thing. To a few others they where real creatures who died out long ago and too an even smaller amount they had left long ago and now inhabited a hidden undetectable place. So how was it that this child came to think that they where Elves when he would have been taught that they didn't exist or had vanished never to be seen again.

Leo looked at them tilting his head slightly as if trying to figure something out "But if you are Elves what are you doing here after all aren't you meant to live in the immortal realms and not interfere with us humans?"

That startled the 'Elves' even more, no mortal human knew of the immortal realms, it was impossible for this child to know. "Where did you hear about the immortal realms?" A female elf asked, she had long silvery blond hair and kind silver eyes. She had a gentle, comforting smile on her lips having sensed the child's discomfort "Its okay we will not harm you." She said softly in that magical voice.

Leo looked at her carefully, his emerald eyes full of distrust. Leo wanted to trust these people whose very presents he found calming but he had been taught for as long as he could remember not to trust anyone, and that lesson would take a lot longer to brake. His parents had always told him not to trust even the kindest of stranger because they would use him to get to his brother; but these people didn't seem to be interested in his brother at all, they seemed to be far more interested in him. But people change, Leo knew that for a fact, his parents for example had loved him but they had changed and now they didn't care about him.

The woman watched Leo with a gentle expression on her face but inside she was crying out. 'How could anyone do this to such innocents? How could anyone starve a child of love and feed them distrust instead? Sure the world is a dangerous place and children need to be wary but the amount of distrust this child has is that of an adult not a child!' At Tathars retelling of the child's story it became clear that should the child agree they would take him back to with them and give him the care he had been so wrongly deprived of. But first they needed to gain his trust which would prove a difficult task.

"My name is Aglaranna," she began gently "and you are right, we are Elves, Wood Elves."

Leo gave a small smile, he had been right they where Elves, they did exist. "And you come from the immortal realms?" he asked in the same small voice that without there inhuman hearing abilities they would not have been able to hear.

"Yes we do. But the immortal realms are top secrete so I don't know how you found out about them?" she asked, giving him a soft questioning look.

Leo frowned trying to think of where he had learnt this but found that the only answer was that he'd always known, it was like he was born with that knowledge. "I've always known about it. It's like the knowledge is a part of me, I was born knowing it." He said, frowning as he tried to put how he knew, even though he really didn't know how, into words.

Aglaranna's head shot up "The lost line?" she murmured, staring at Tathar "How can it be? There supposed to be dead!"

The elves behind Aglaranna started to murmur too each other shooting glances at Leo. Leo became very uncomfortable with all the attention and tried to hide, which is rather difficult when you are being held.

"Shh… it's okay little one." Tathar said, in a soothing voice. "Have your parents ever said anything about us before?"

"No. I asked them once but they just said you didn't exist." Leo said

"There immortal blood must not have awoken or is too weak." Aglaranna muttered to herself thinking.

"Immortal blood? The lost line? What's she talking about?" Leo asked Tathar

"Never mind little one, it is not important now. What is though is what do you want to do?" Tathar said softly to Leo

"What do you mean?" Leo asked looking Tathar in the eye

"You have a chose, go home back to your family or to come with us. You don't have to decide right now, you can go home for awhile and think about it but we just wanted you to know that you are welcome to come to the immortal realms with us and we would look after you like one of our own." Tathar said.

Leo looked at Tathar and the other elves carefully trying to see if they truly meant that. Leo's parent's betrayal had taught him that people change and that just because these people wanted him now doesn't mean they always would. But they seemed to really care about him and he didn't want to go back.

"Y…you really want me?" Leo asked

"Yes little one we really do." Tathar replied hugging him

"I don't want to go home."

"Will you come with us?" Tathar asked; Leo nodded. He felt safe and loved in Tathars arms, something that he couldn't remember feeling with his own father.

* * *

Tathar smiled down at the small child drifting off to sleep in his arms. He would make sure that this child got all the love he deserved, he would give this child a loving home that he had been denied, that he was sure of.

And with these thoughts he brought the child into his realm and Leo Potter disappeared from earth in an assumed kidnapping and after three years of searching was presumed dead.


End file.
